VW bus kit car

davelarue · Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 6:50 am Post subject: VW bus kit car

HI,

Anyone thought about making barndoor Samba kit cars? Meaning, make them from scratch (maybe rustfree metal or aluminum), and have all IRS and goodies like a modern van.
Would probably be expensive, but cool (maybe start a new fasion??)

Just a side thought....

Thanx!

felix ehrhardt · Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 8:08 am Post subject:

Hi,

when I look at the prices I think the same and wonder why nobody does them.
But than you only got a repro and who wants that ???

I think it`s way cooler to search,search more search deeper wait search and search again and restore and saerch parts... Wink

You even can update such an old lady with Irs,good brakes and so on.

I like them old.

Luckily a panel-fan,Felix

56 from a good friend of mine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDUGXvk8_tw

davelarue · Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 8:50 am Post subject:

I totally agree with you Felix.
But, think how many people would want a barndoor deluxe in NEW condtion. Built 100% like the old ones. And, maybe pay a lot less.....
Take Andy Carrolls....£55k is a lot of money.....and its such a cool bus! There are probably a lot of people wanting a car like that, and would buy one if it cost £15k.....
I would....

dieselnut · Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 10:09 am Post subject:

dave, there is a guy in south america who is proposing to do exactly this, i believe he needs his first buyer though. i suspect the number you quoted above would be very do-able. i believe they would be fairly popular if well made. someone just needs to get the ball rolling. search the forums for "gerson", he has a website you'll find as well. i believe it's www.klassicfab.com

davelarue · Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 10:35 am Post subject:

dieselnut · Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 10:47 am Post subject:

davelarue · Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 1:10 pm Post subject:

BUS_AV8TOR · Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 10:11 pm Post subject:

I like the Idea !! I'd buy a body if it wasn't to expensive. I think they would have to be shipped in as replacement body shells to avoid alot of EPA and NHTSA red tape. I think VW would be the hardest thing they would have to deal with doing it that way. I know GM filed several lawsuits over the reperduction camaro bodys but they ended up working a licensing deal with GM. Think how nice it would be to start out with a nice straight rustfree barndoor shell

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davelarue · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 4:01 am Post subject:

I agree. I think $50k is way to much for an old bus. Like just some years ago you could buy them for nothing...
I personally like the idea... Would be cool if someone like Gerson would make one for around $15k. People would line up to buy them. Would be big business.
I know just about 50 people in my SMALL hometown who wants a bd samba badly....

Gerson · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 6:11 am Post subject:

I am going to start offering the Colombian BDs that I have in my shop as "custom" vehicles, they are BEAT to shit, so I really see no sense in restoring these vehicles to original condition, once they are done, they are not really original anyway, 70 to 80% of the metal has been replaced. The plan is to offer, for example a 53 standard with every option that VW could have offered at the time:
Behr scoop or 2 ambulance air intakes
Roof rack
Safari windows
walkthrough
Double door
Double flipper middle seat
Rear opening hatch
Double side mirrors
The correct belly pans will be installed, etc. Other model BDs will be available, 23 window deluxes, 15 window deluxes, sunroof standards, BD double cabs, just like the "lost" Binz,(based on a BD single). We are thinking that if there is enough interest, we might start making the complete cars from scratch, this way you can order the vehicle with the options that you want, or fully stock shells. Of course these are just plans, I need feedback from people, and I need to see if there is enough interest for this to happen, we are looking for a "launch" customer now.

davelarue · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:10 am Post subject:

Gerson · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:25 am Post subject:

For a BD deluxe I will start with a type 22(standard), we would build a complete new chassis, new A,B,C and rear pillars, new cargo doors from the waist down, or new from zero, new long side, and short side panels, new cargo floors with seat supports, new front floors, clean, used front doors, new decklid, we would then modify the roof(add the samba roof sections, and sunroof hole), add the rear most windows, and the corner windows, new deluxe dash, etc.etc.etc. The "factory" options are up to you IE. safaris, Behr scoop, roofrack, double doors, walktru, and anything else you can think of. The car will keep it's body number, factory VIN plate, and the VIN number on the engine bay tin, this way the paperwork will not be an issue, the car will leave Colombia as a regular type 22, and can be registered anywhere in the world as a type 22, no paperwork hassles.

RockStock · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:31 am Post subject:

gerson, have you thought about offering a way to discern a 'repro' bd (ie a kombi that is converted into a 23w) from a factory bd?
i think this would be a concern amongst current (& future) bd owners.
_________________
-StockRocks-

felix ehrhardt · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:42 am Post subject:

I always liked the pic in a book where a bd panel is picured with:

-deluxe dash ! yes that was an option...
-walk trough
-turning seats

Gerson · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:48 am Post subject:

If this whole thing takes off, I will be announcing this, I will make it known to the whole type 2 community. I really would like to do "modified" BD buses instead of "stock" BD buses, this way there is no question of where the bus came from, in other words, you will be able to tell right off, that the BD you are looking at is a Klassicfab built BD.

dieselnut · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:57 am Post subject:

dieselnut · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:59 am Post subject:

RockStock · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 12:12 pm Post subject:

dieselnut · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 12:24 pm Post subject:

There are more for sure but it's not for me to say. Not that I've got much of a knowledge base on it anyway. Simply digging through the samba archives would reveal more however, for starters.

But in the end, who's to say what is fake? That's a tough one for everybody to agree on... There's a similar thread in the split bug forums in regards to pans. That's kind of what I was getting at w/ my above comment.

This practice is widespread throughout the old car world. Ever wonder why ~half the heb's are missing there heb tags/body numbers? Or why pre '62 15 windows appear so infrequently?

A thread on fake BD deluxes would make for an interesting thread though! Laughing

RockStock · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 12:53 pm Post subject:


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